


Small Town Racer

by angstfortheangstgod



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Each chapter is named after an album I like, Hurt/Comfort, Illegal Activities, Illegal Street Racing, Parent Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Philza isn't a great parents but he isn't an awful one either, Philza's C+ Parenting, Protective Sam | Awesamdude, Ranboo Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Street Racing, Tags May Change, TommyInnit Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, inspired by shadowx_mac, lets not talk about how much I know about small town street racing, no beta we die like wilbur at the final battle, small town, this is an excuse to show y'all my music
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:35:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29591511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstfortheangstgod/pseuds/angstfortheangstgod
Summary: The adrenaline pumped through Tommy’s veins and he could hear his heart pounding in his ears, nearly drowning out the other sounds around him.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his co-pilot in the passenger’s seat, quite nearly bouncing with excitement.  It seemed that no matter how many times they were in this position, the anticipation never seemed to wear off.  The car buzzed beneath him, engine revving up, and he kept the steering wheel in an iron grip, knuckles turning white.ORTommy has always wanted to be as great at something as his older brothers. If that something turns out to be illegal street racing in his small town, who's to say it's wrong (besides the law)? At least he has a good team (consisting of Tubbo, Awesamdude, Purpled, Quackity, and Ranboo) to help him along the way! It shouldn't be that hard to keep the fact that he's one of the best street racers in their entire underground syndicate a secret from his family, right?
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 90
Kudos: 375





	1. Save Me, San Francisco

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Shut Up and Drive](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29140269) by [shadowx_mac](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowx_mac/pseuds/shadowx_mac). 



> hey y'all! so I saw shadowx_mac's "Shut Up and Drive" and was really inspired to write something about street racing in the realistic small town way it happens, so I hope y'all enjoy!

The adrenaline pumped through Tommy’s veins and he could hear his heart pounding in his ears, nearly drowning out the other sounds around him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his co-pilot in the passenger’s seat, quite nearly bouncing with excitement. It seemed that no matter how many times they were in this position, the anticipation never seemed to wear off. The car buzzed beneath him, engine revving up, and he kept the steering wheel in an iron grip, knuckles turning white. He kept his gaze on the ref, who was making one last check to see if the road was clear, both of civilians and spectators, before turning to the two vehicles. He put three fingers up into the air.

_ “Three. _ ”

He took in a deep breath.

_ “Two.”  _

He exhaled.

_ “One.” _

He fixed his gaze on the road before him.

_ “Go!” _

And he was off, quickly stepping on the gas pedal and pressing down as hard as he could. Both Tommy and his co-pilot were jolted by how quickly the car jumped into action, but the familiar feeling did nothing to deter them from the race. The bumpiness of the concrete road beneath his wheels only served to soothe Tommy, and had soothed him since he had first gotten comfortable driving. The roads had become a safe place for him, a second home that felt just as comfortable as the house he lived in with his dad and brothers.

“Pothole about fifty feet ahead, middle of the right lane,” his copilot warned him. Tommy spotted it and swerved around it without an issue. That was how the two of them worked, a synchronized machine that trusted each other in every word. After all, one wrong warning or slip up could mean injury, or even death.

The scenery outside of the car passed by too quickly to be seen by any of the racers, blurred by the speed they were racing down the quiet road at. In his peripheral, Tommy could see his competition occupying the lane meant for drivers heading west, though both were all headed east to the finish line, which happened to be right at the edge of their small town. Tommy knew when they got there, a few spectators and a ref would be waiting for them, a few recording the race to check the winner if it was too close to call. There would be that familiar chalk line drawn across the concrete, just waiting for somebody to pass it and be declared the victor in their late night competition.

“They’re gaining!”

Tommy was broken out of his thoughts by his co-pilot’s shout. With a quick glance to the side, he could see that his competition was a little bit ahead of them. Part of him questioned if he should let them get a little bit ahead, allow them to believe they were going to win before eventually crushing that hope, but then he remembered that this was a relatively short track they had set up and he simply didn’t have enough time or feet ahead of them to play cat and mouse. Determination shone in Tommy’s eyes as he sped up, catching up once more until he was side-by-side with the other car.

“Finish line not far off!” his co-pilot called out. “A hundred feet at most!”

Tommy allowed himself to grow confident as he floored it, the car speeding up and surpassing the car beside them. In his right side mirror, he could see his opponents attempting to speed up too, but he had already gained a lead.  _ Only a little bit farther. _

With a whoop from his co-pilot, Tommy crossed the finish line and let his foot up from the gas pedal, easing down onto the brake and sharply turning the wheel to the side. He drifted and came to a stop, hearing the cheers of the few spectators along the sides of the road. Only seconds later, his competitor’s car pulled past the finish line and came to a much calmed stop, the driver obviously having slowed down after seeing Tommy cross the finish line.

Tommy put the car into park and let out the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. He looked over to his co-pilot, who was already unbuckling his seatbelt.

“What do you say, Tubbo? Should we go celebrate?”

“What else would we do?”

Tommy took the keys out of the ignition, unbuckled his seatbelt, and stepped out of the car, slamming the door behind him. His legs were still wobbly after the fast race and leaned against the car slightly, regaining his balance. Only about ten feet away, he watched as his competitors did the same. Tubbo walked around the car and stood by Tommy’s side, and the two of them approached their defeated foes.

“That was a great race!” Niki exclaimed as she shut the driver’s side door and stuck the keys into the pocket of her jeans. “Good game.”

Tommy smiled and took her hand, shaking it as was customary at the end of races.

“You two’ve gotten good,” Jack complimented, holding out a hand to Tubbo. “You really are a perfect team.”

“What can we say?” Tommy replied, letting go of Niki’s hand and reaching out to Jack. “We’re big men.”

“You two were great also!” Tubbo exclaimed. “I had a lot of fun!”

Just as Tommy’s hand was released from Jack’s grip, the sixteen-year-old felt an arm slung around his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw it was Purpled, smiling wide and pride gleaming in his eyes. It wasn’t surprising that the slightly older teen was happy for him, seeing as Purpled was the one who had introduced him to drag racing in the first place. The seventeen-year-old deserved full credit for recognizing Tommy’s talent and introducing him to Awesamdude.

“The great TommyInnit and Tubbo, everybody!” Purpled exclaimed.

“One of the greatest fucking street racer teams in this stupid town!” Quackity added on, coming up beside Tubbo and ruffling the boy’s hair.

“Language!” Bad called from a few feet away, where he and Skeppy had joined the group standing around the racers. It caused the tight-knit group of people to all laugh, the cheerful sound ringing out into the chilly February night.

The crowd began to disperse, heading back to their own cars that were parked on the grass beside the road. Tommy headed back to his car, a few people in tow. Quackity and Purpled climbed into the backseat and Tubbo joined them at Tommy’s request; the driver wanted Ranboo to sit in the front seat so he could talk to the tall teen about what he thought of the first race he’d ever attended.

Everyone was in and all buckled up, except for Ranboo, who was standing outside of the passenger’s door and just staring at the red car with trepidation. Tommy rolled down the window and gave his friend a look.

“Hop in!” he insisted.

“Absolutely fucking not. After seeing you race tonight, there’s no way I’m letting you drive me back to Sam’s shop.”

Tommy sighed, shoulders sagging as he put the key into the ignition. “Ranboo, I only drive like that when I’m racing. I’m actually safe when I’m just driving normally. Plus, it’s only a few minutes back to the shop, so it’s not like it’s that far!”

“Fine,” Ranboo muttered, opening the door and climbing in, “but if I die because of you, I’m going to haunt you.”

“If we got into an accident that killed you, I would probably die too,” Tommy shot back. “How are you going to haunt me if I’m dead?”

Ranboo put on his seatbelt and then moved his hands to grip the armrests. “I’ll figure it out. My ghost will haunt your ghost.”

The three in the back burst out laughing, while Tommy tried to stifle his laughter.

It was silent for a few moments, everyone taking a few deep breaths. Tommy felt worn, the adrenaline from the race beginning to exit his system.

“What’d you think of watching your first race, Ranboo?” Purpled eventually asked from the backseat. “Cool, right?”

“More like terrifying!” the brunet exclaimed. “You guys were going so fast! Not to mention that stunt you pulled at the end!”

“What, the drift?” Tommy asked.

Ranboo nodded frantically, eyes wide.

“That was basically the first thing I learned when I started racing, it’s childsplay! I promise that drifting isn’t really dangerous as long as you know how to do it well!”

“But you literally left skid marks on the road!”

“Did we?!” Tubbo shouted, excitement laced into his town. “That’s so cool!”

The car erupted into laughter again, while Ranboo sighed and leaned his head back against the headrest.

Eventually, they made it back to Sam’s auto shop pulling up into the lot behind it. Tommy stopped the car and all the passengers climbed out. The boy locked the car behind them and turned to Ranboo, who had his arms wrapped around himself.

“See! I’m not  _ that _ bad at driving!”

“I could barely tell if you were driving well,” the taller boy responded. “I was too busy keeping myself from having a panic attack.”

Tommy mumbled a quick apology, which Ranboo waved off with reassurances that he was okay, and they ran to catch up with the rest of the group, who were already nearing the back entrance to the auto shop.

Purpled pulled out the spare key to the building that Sam had gifted him and unlocked the door, letting everybody in before locking it behind them. The group took a look around the back, not seeing anybody, and headed out to the main area, only to find Sam working at the front desk and clicking away at his computer. The mechanic turned his gaze up as the group of five walked in.

“How’d it go?” Sam asked with a wide smile, standing up and making his way over to the boys.

“We won!” Tommy proclaimed proudly, handing over the car keys to the man.

“I knew you would.” Sam ruffled the blond boy’s hair before opening one of the drawers at the front desk and pulling out something wrapped in brown paper. Everyone, besides Ranboo, already knew what it was.

⇩⇩⇩

A few weeks into working at the auto shop, as well as training in the art of speed racing, Tommy had mentioned to Sam that the car he drove, which had been a hand-me-down from both of his brothers, didn’t have bluetooth connection. Of course, this car wasn’t the one he drove for his races𑁋 Sam allowed him to use a better racing car for that, one which had many safety precautions and was constantly being worked on, in exchange for Tommy helping out around the shop𑁋but it was the car he drove to school and to the shop. It was his car for anything else besides his races.

Tommy, of course, didn’t mind the lack of bluetooth, but it did mean he had to resort to other ways of listening to music while driving. He had mentioned to the auto mechanic that before his middle brother, Wilbur, left for college, he had made a CD with all of his favorite songs on it and gifted it to Tommy. While it was one of his most prized possessions, right alongside a CD Tubbo made with all of both of their favorite songs, it did get boring listening to the same music over and over again.

Sam had filed that away for another time, and that time came after the boy’s first real race. Tommy had done plenty of practice races, against Sam, Purpled, and others, but his first real race had been only a few weeks after he turned sixteen. It was against a guy named Skeppy, a member of the Badlands Team that was happy to do an individual race against a new racer that didn’t have a team yet. Tommy won the race, though barely, and Sam had gifted the teen a CD in congratulations.

When Tommy read the words on the cover  _ “Save Me San Francisco: Golden Gate Edition”  _ aloud, he scoffed immediately afterwards, telling the mechanic he didn’t want to listen to any silly American music, but Sam knew that the boy didn’t truly mean it. Though Tommy would never admit it, the album became one of his favorites and was often heard being blasted from his car.

It had become somewhat of a tradition after that for Sam to give him a CD. Sometimes, it was of an album the man thought the teen would like, or sometimes it was an album Sam enjoyed, and every so often the man would burn a mix of songs onto a blank disc just for some variety.

⇩⇩⇩

Tommy opened up the brown packaging and was immediately giddy as he saw a CD case of the  _ Sports  _ album by Modern Baseball. He wrapped his arms around Sam, thanking him over and over for the present. The mechanic only laughed and told the young racer that it was no problem.

“I hate to interrupt this sweet moment,” Purpled said, interrupting the sweet moment, “but cash.”

The teen pulled a few envelopes out of the pocket of his purple hoodie waving them around. He checked his own writing on them before beginning to hand them out.

“Tommy, there’s your thirty-five cut. Tubbo, here’s your thirty-five. Sam, here’s your twenty. And I get my ten.” He stuffed his own envelope back into his hoodie pocket.

“Slow down,” Ranboo cut in. “Where is this money coming from?”

“People are pretty serious about betting on the races,” Quackity explained, everyone else nodding along in agreement.

“We split the money up between us,” Purpled explained further. “Tommy and Tubbo get majority because they’re the actual ones in the car, but Sam gets twenty percent because they use his car and he fixes it up. I get ten percent because I help with training and a bit of maintenance.”

Ranboo only gave an exasperated nod of acceptance and the group devolved into silence.

“It’s getting pretty late,” Sam mentioned, glancing at the clock on the far wall of the auto shop waiting room. “You kids should probably get home.”

With that, they all gave their goodbyes to Sam, Tommy hugging the mechanic one last time, and they all left through the backdoor once more, locking it behind them. Purpled wished them all goodnight and headed off to his car, but not before confirming with Tommy that they were still on for training the next day.

“Do you want me to drive you home, Ranboo?” Quackity asked, pulling out his keys. “Your house isn’t too far from mine.”

“If you don’t mind,” Ranboo answered, following the slightly older man across the parking lot to his car.

Tommy and Tubbo headed to Tommy’s personal car, the one he didn’t use for racing. The old thing was a hand-me-down, belonging to Techno and then to Wilbur before eventually being given to him once his brothers had moved away to college. The two best friends climbed in and Tubbo immediately popped out the CD that was in, putting it back into its plastic casing. The brunet teen opened the glove box and placed it back in before pulling out a different CD, one that was obviously well loved and listened to often. He opened the casing and pulled out the plastic disc, sliding it into the slot as Tommy backed out of the parking lot. Just as they pulled out onto the street, the guitar strumming of the first song on the CD picked up, quickly accompanied by the lyrics.

_ I used to love the tenderloin _

_ Till I made some tender coin _

_ Then I met some ladies from Marin _

_ We took the highway to the One _

_ Up the coast to catch some sun _

_ They left me with these blisters on my skin _

⇩⇩⇩

Tommy couldn’t help but let out a small yawn as he pulled into the driveway of Tubbo’s house and parked the car. The adrenaline of the day had truly worn off and reminded him that it was late and he had woken up early for extra training with Purpled before school. He pressed the “eject” button and grabbed the disc as it popped out of the slot, placing its back into its plastic casing and putting it into the glove box. Beside him, Tubbo was unbuckling his seatbelt and collecting his things. Before the brunet boy could get out of the car, however, the front door to the house opened and a figure walked out. Tommy unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the car with Tubbo as the person approached the car.

“Hey, kiddos!” Schlatt greeted, pulling Tubbo into a quick hug before ruffling Tommy’s hair a bit. “How’d the race go?”

“We crushed it!” Tommy exclaimed in excitement, though his exhaustion was slightly evident in his tone. “The Eastside Eagles never stood a chance!”

“No one ever stands a chance against the Hybrids!” Schlatt told the two with a proud smile on his face. “You’re the best team in town!”

Tommy and Tubbo both blushed, but gave each other a smile, basking in the praise from one of the only adults that was aware of their illegal career.

Schlatt had been aware of the street racing syndicate in town since he was in high school, many of his friends at the time being a part of it. Of course, he never participated, but he wasn’t the type to be upset that his friends were doing illegal activities; that would make him a hypocrite! He found out about the Hybrids𑁋 the name of the team consisting of Tommy, Tubbo, Purpled, Quackity, and Sam𑁋 almost as soon as Tubbo had joined the team, seeing as the boy had never been the best at lying.

Schlatt chuckled every time he remembered one time where Tubbo tried to sneak out late at night and he caught the boy, demanding answers for where he was going, only for the teenager to shout “I’m pregnant!” and then freeze. Yeah, it was no wonder the man had found out so easily about the secret racing syndicate.

The man had participated in many illegal activities back in his own day (though he had cleaned up his act once he had found out he had a son), so he wasn’t in a position to comment on what Tommy and Tubbo got up to after dark, but he had easily fallen into the role of a protective adult. He had spent many hours talking with Sam to make sure the teens would be safe and always made Tubbo tell him everything about their competitions and practices, while also making sure to praise them when they won races.

“You both better get some rest. It’s a school night, after all!” Schlatt reminded the two.

“You got it, big man!” Tommy replied, at the same time as Tubbo groaned at the prospect of classes the next day.

Schlatt and Tubbo headed back into the house, Tubbo excitedly telling his father about the race the whole time, while Tommy hopped back into his car. He buckled up and spent a few moments looking through his CDs before deciding to listen to the same one he had on during the drive from Sam’s shop. He opened the plastic and popped the disc in, the familiar guitar washing over him as he put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway.

_ Don't know what I was on, but I think it grows in Oregon _

_ So I kept on going, going, gone, right through _

_ I drove into Seattle rain, fell in love then missed the train _

_ That could a took me right back home to you _

⇩⇩⇩

“Was it  _ that _ bad?” Quackity asked about halfway through the drive to Ranboo’s house.

“Hm?” Ranboo replied, looking away from the window to turn to the man whose eyes were focused on the road.

“Was the race  _ that  _ bad?” he elaborated. “Like, did you hate it that much?”

Ranboo paused for a few moments, seemingly thinking his next words over. “I mean, it’s not that it was  _ bad,  _ per say. I suppose it was just scary. The prospect of doing very illegal things in very open areas doesn’t sit right with me.”

Quackity nodded along, never moving his gaze away from the pavement ahead of them. “I mean, we haven’t been caught yet and we’ve been doing this for a good while.”

“That does not reassure me in the slightest.”

Quackity laughed and Ranboo found himself chuckling along. The car fell silent for a few more seconds before the younger man spoke up again.

“Why does it matter so much?”

Quackity came to a stop at an intersection. The glare of the traffic light reflected against the windshield and bathed the two in red that stood out against the darkness of the night.

“Tommy and Tubbo were just really excited to show you their racing,” Quackity admitted, beginning to drive again as the light turned green. “They only show people they really trust and they were hoping . . .”

“They were hoping what?” Ranboo found himself asking, a bit of guilt making itself known in his stomach as he thought about how he had reacted after the race, even if he knew that his reaction was likely warranted. After all, he had just found out his closest friends were a part of an illegal underground street racing syndicate, how else was he supposed to react?!

“They were hoping you’d join the team,” Quackity finally told him, voice quieter and more nervous than Ranboo had ever heard the man speak before.

“The . . .the team?”

Quackity sighed, remembering that Ranboo didn’t know much about the racing syndicates in town. “There’s a bunch of different teams in town, consisting of racers, mechanics, hype people, et cetera. Tommy, Tubbo, Purpled, Sam, and I make up the Hybrids, for example. Niki and Jack are the racers for the Eastside Eagles and their mechanic is a guy named Foolish. They also have a hype-woman named Puffy𑁋 she’s Niki’s girlfriend.”

Ranboo nodded along to the explanation, inexplicably entranced by the basic information about the syndicate. “And you guys want me as a part of the Hybrids? What would I even do?”

“I mean, you don’t really have to  _ do _ anything!” Quackity laughed. “I sure as hell don’t! I just hype them up when they need it and help organize races. I think Tubbo had said he was thinking about inviting you on as the official Voice of Reason.”

Ranboo didn’t say anything else, and Quackity didn’t push him to make any conversation. Instead, the two finished the drive in a comfortable silence, allowing themselves to just think in the time before they made it to Ranboo’s house. When they pulled up, they simply sat there for a few moments, too lost in their own thoughts.

“If everyone will have me,” Ranboo piped up, finally breaking the silence, “then I’d be happy to join the team as the voice of reason.”

“Hell yeah, dude!” Quackity cheered, fist bumping the teen. “I’ll add you to the group chat as soon as I’m home! I know Tommy and Tubbo are gonna be so excited about this!”

Ranboo couldn’t help but smile, something warm growing in his chest as he thought about being a part of a team. The smile didn’t go away even as he said goodbye to Quackity and went into the empty house, watching Quackity pull out of the driveway to head home to his fiances.

⇩⇩⇩

_ The Hybrids _

[QUACK! added Ranboo]

QUACK!: we’ve got a new member, everybody!!!!!   
big man: EYYYY WELCOME TO THE TEAM, MY FRIEND

Awwwsam: Congrats on joining the team, Ranboo! We’re happy to have you here :)

tubee: RANBOOOOOOO

Purpur: happy to have u here, man

Ranboo: i am terrified

Ranboo: but as your new voice of reason, i guess thats kinda the point

QUACK!: now ur getting it!

Ranboo: quick question tho

tubee: yeah?

Ranboo: why are we called the hybrids?

QUACK!: oooh yeah i forgot to explain this to u

Awwwsam: We all chose animals (or minecraft mobs) that represent our personalities and so the joke is that we’re like hybrids of those!

Awwwsam: I’m a creeper hybrid!

Ranboo: wait does that mean ur nickname in this gc is a joke about,,,

Awwwsam: It’s like “creeper? Awww man!” except my name is Sam! Clever, right?

big man: it’s very clever sam!!!! never let anybody tell u otherwise!!!!

Awwwsam: Thank you, Tommy :)

Ranboo: what are everybody elses hybrids?   
Purpur: im a shulker hybrid and “purpled” sounds a bit like “purpur” aka the blocks that make up a shulker’s box

tubee: im a bee hybrid!!

QUACK!: im a duck, if u couldnt guess

Ranboo: tommy?

big man: …

big man: im a racoon.

Ranboo: a… racoon????

tubee: he likes burrowing in small spaces, hes dug thru trash before, hes territorial, he likes shiny things

tubee: the list goes on really

QUACK!: also racoons can carry rabies

Ranboo: HUH?!

big man: FOR THE LAST TIME, I DONT HAVE RABIES

QUACK!: YOU BIT ME ONCE

big man: BECAUSE YOU WERE BEING A BITCH

Awwwsam: Moving on

Awwwsam: Ranboo, do you have any idea what you would want to choose as your hybrid half?

Ranboo: enderman

Purpur: elaborate

Ranboo: very tall, do not like eye contact, hates water

big man: yeah that adds up

QUACK!: that makes it fully official!!! welcome to the hybrids!!!!!!

⇩⇩⇩

Turning off his phone, Ranboo rolled over in his bed and smiled, falling asleep feeling warm and not alone for the first time in a while.


	2. How To: Friend, Love, Freefall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another race, some backstory, and a start of some plot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I mentioned in the tags, each chapter is named after an album! Because pretty much every song in the fic is played off of a CD, the lyrics included are always the first lines of the first song of the album! This chapter's album is How To: Friend, Love, Freefall by Rainbow Kitten Surprise and the song is Pacific Love. This album has stuck with me since it first came out in 2018 and I can't recommend it enough.
> 
> Anyways, onto the second chapter!

_ Two Months Later, April _

As much as Tommy loved team races, individual races always had a certain feeling to them, a complete and utter competitiveness that wasn’t quite the same as in team races. When you have your co-pilot with you, it makes you feel the weight of your team, the reminder that you’re carrying people who are counting on you to win. When you were racing on your own, just you against the lead racer of another team𑁋 you never race someone from your own team for a real race, only for practice𑁋 then it was up to you and you alone. There’s nobody in the world you can count on in that moment except yourself.

Flying down the pavement, engine revving and scenery passing by, Tommy had never felt more alone. He was in a universe by himself, where nothing existed except for him, his car, and the road in front of him. He was so completely by himself, utterly alone, unseen by anybody else except for the car mirrors. The only thing that broke that illusion was the roaring of the engine coming from the car next to him as his competitor began to speed up, taking the lead. Tommy grit his teeth and gripped the steering wheel tighter. His foot felt heavy, yet had never felt lighter, as he pressed down on the gas pedal, speeding up even more as the finish line came into view. There was no attention paid to the speed his car said he was flying down the road at, nor how full the gas tank was, or what was in his rearview mirror. All that existed was him, the road, and that finish line.

He crossed the line with no time to spare, only moments before his competitor. Had he been a second later, it would’ve been too close to call, but Tommyinnit was  _ never  _ a second too late. He had every moment of his race, every move and stunt, prepared for use if and when he needed them. It was how he won every race, how he kept up with his near-perfect streak with so few problems. It was how he was there at that moment, rolled up windows muffling the sounds of the audience who had come to watch the spectacle. He put the car into park and lifted his foot off the brake, taking a moment to stare at his reflection in the window before unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the door.

Tommy stumbled out of the car with shaky legs and a wide smile slapped across his face. He kept one hand on the open car door for support, regaining his balance as he became friends with the solid ground once more. As he regained his senses, he was met with the warm April air and loud cheering from the spectators of the race, who had all been waiting at the finish point for the cars to cross the chalk line drawn across the dark grey pavement. The blond took deep breaths, the adrenaline from the high speed race beginning to exit his veins.

Suddenly, Tommy felt his hand, the one not helping him keep his balance, grabbed and raised up into the air. A quick glance to the side revealed that the referee for that night, Eret, was the one who had taken his hand captive.

“Our winner for tonight is Tommyinnit of the Hybrids!” Eret announced, somehow raising the boy’s hand even higher into the air. The declaration is met with even more cheers. As Eret released Tommy’s hand, the teen was bombarded with pats on the back and fistbumps from friendly competitors and neutral spectators alike. The crowd splits, however, as his defeated rival for the night makes his way up to him. Tommy takes a deep breath, prepared to face his foe with his normal cocky grin.

“That was great, man!” Skeppy exclaimed, sticking his hand out for the boy. Tommy, having finally regained his footing, removed the grasp from his car and shook the other racer’s hand. The two shook on it before releasing. “You are definitely one of the best people to race against! You’re always such good competition.”

Tommy laughed. “What can I say? I’m the best of the best,” he bragged in that way where everyone knew he was joking around.

Skeppy was joined by the rest of his Badlands teammates, who all gave Tommy their congratulations before sweeping their racer off towards his car, likely to discuss the race and talk about training. Tommy watched them go for a second before he was suddenly tackled, stumbling to the side a bit at the additional weight. He turned to face whatever had suddenly attached to him and was greeted by Tubbo. The short brunet had his arms wrapped around Tommy’s torso and buried his head into the taller boy’s shoulder.

“You were great!” Tubbo exclaimed.

“I’m always great!” Tommy scoffed, but the genuine smile on his face gave away that he wasn’t truly being cocky.

“That was a great redemption arc,” Quackity teased as he came up to Tommy and slung an arm around the boy’s shoulder. “I can see the headline now:  _ The Hybrids’ Tommyinnit Beats The Badlands’ Skeppy in Rematch.  _ Everybody will eat it up.”

“You say that like we wouldn’t get arrested if these little races made it to the paper,” Ranboo told Quackity as he walked up to the group with Purpled.

“The voice of reason strikes again,” Purpled joked before flicking Quackity on the forehead. “Get fucked.”

Quackity scowled at the teen, but didn’t bother to say anything back, understanding that he had lost the battle. 

Sam walked up to the group and Tubbo immediately released Tommy so the boy could be pulled into a hug by the mechanic. The blond teen melted into the affection, comforted by the man as easily as ever. The mechanic had become a sort of pseudo-father to the racer, filling in the gaps where Philza fell short and being another person that the teen could reach out to.

“Ready to head back to the shop, team?” Sam questioned the group as he and Tommy pulled out of the embrace.

“I’ve gotta get back home, actually,” Quackity told them. “Karl and Sapnap wanna have a movie night and I promised I’d head back as soon as I could.” The group waved the man off, reassuring him that it was no problem and that he should go have a nice night with his fiances.

“I promised I would drive Ranboo home and I’ve gotta get back before my parents get  _ too _ worried about me,” Purpled let them know, Ranboo nodding along. The group wished them well, Tommy confirming that they would be at the shop the next day, and the two began to split off, though not before Purpled handed them their envelopes of cash from the bet and prize winnings. Finally, it was just Tommy, Tubbo, and Sam.

“Back to the shop?” Sam asked, and the two teens nodded in confirmation. The three climbed into the car, Sam insisting that the two were much too worn out to drive. The teens climbed into the backseat while the mechanic got into the driver’s side. He started the car up and took a moment to pop in one of the CDs Tommy had stashed away in there. As he shifted the car into drive and began to head back towards the shop, the gentle music began to wash over the occupants.

_ Hold my hand, darling _

_ Pull me in your waters _

_ When you call my name, _

_ I’ll be on my way _

_ Kiss my head, honey _

_ Keep my fever running _

_ If the blood cools too young _

_ You’ll never recover _

_ And I’ll be on my way _

As much as Tommy loved team races, and individual races, he loved these moments even more. It was the adrenaline of the races wearing off, the bone deep tiredness that came with crossing the finish line, that tinged with the giddiness of winning a race, the elation of being declared the victor, that always felt so rewarding in the end. He couldn’t help but love those moments of being with his teammates, some or all of them, while he came down from his racing high. They were always there with him, letting him rest against them and just breathe.

Tommy just let himself exist as he sat in the backseat of the car, leaning against Tubbo and letting his eyes flutter shut. The gentle rocking of the car felt like home and the streetlights he could catch glimpses of brightness from through his closed eyes served only to soothe him, lulling him into a calmness that he had never felt until he started racing a little over a year prior. Tubbo used one hand to run his fingers through Tommy’s hair and Sam was softly humming in the front seat, reciting a tune that neither of the teens recognized but was calming either way.

It was moments like these that made Tommy wish he could tell his dad about the syndicate, that he could finally admit what his job at Sam’s auto shop actually entailed. The teen couldn’t help but wonder if Philza would understand, if his father would take a moment to comprehend his illegal career, if only he could see the softer moments like this. Maybe Phil would see what Tommy saw in these races, and be proud of the boy for what he had accomplished. Maybe he would find it in himself to feel some sense of pride that his son had trained, had formed a team, had spent months and months on end working, just to feel the rush of adrenaline and then the absolute serenity of the moments like these.

_ The more he thought about it, however, the more Tommy realized that his dad would never understand. _

Tommy pushed the thought out of his mind as the car came to a stop and was put in park. He opened his eyes a bit and was greeted by the familiar sight of the dirt lot behind Sam’s auto shop right outside the window. With a protesting groan, he sat up from where he was leaning on Tubbo’s side and unbuckled his seatbelt, opening up the door and climbing out of the car. He allowed himself to stretch, popping his back and rolling his shoulders, as Tubbo got out and walked around the car to join him.

Sam led the way to the back door, unlocking it and letting the two boys into the building. They made an immediate beeline to the comfy couch that was in the back for moments exactly like these. Both Tommy and Tubbo had taken many naps on the worn piece of furniture, whether it be after a race or after a long day at school. Sam had never minded, always making sure the fabric stayed clean and the cushions stayed comfortable.

“You two crashing here tonight?” Sam asked as he put up the keys to Tommy’s racing car. “I can go grab the blankets.”

“I drove us over here today so I can drive Tommy back home and then head back to my house,” Tubbo told him, laying back against the cushions as Tommy laid his head in the older teen’s lap. “I think Tommy needs a few minutes to rest up before we leave, though.”

“Shut up, bitch,” Tommy grumbled, but his voice gave away how exhausted he was. Sam and Tubbo only laughed at the boy, who looked even more offended. The blond’s scowl melted away, however, as Tubbo began to play with his hair again.

“I’m gonna start cleaning up around the shop,” Sam told the two. “Just let me know when you’re heading out.”

Tubbo gave the man a thumbs up and turned his attention back to Tommy as the man left. The room was quiet, only the faint whirring of the air conditioner filling the empty space. The atmosphere was warm and comfortable, a calmness sitting peacefully in the air.

“What’re you thinking about?” Tubbo asked his friend, breaking the quietness of the auto shop’s backroom.

“My dad,” Tommy admitted.

“What about him?”

“I just haven’t seen him a whole lot lately. He’s just so busy all the time, y’know?” Tommy rolled over so he was laying on his back instead of his side, staring up at the ceiling with his head still in his friend’s lap. “Wilbur and Techno are coming home soon and . . .”

Tubbo stayed silent, just letting the blond take a moment to recollect his thoughts.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Tommy continued, “I’m excited to see them. It’s just that I know that I’m gonna be seeing my dad a lot more in the following months only because my brothers are home. It just sucks to know that I never really get to talk to him unless Wil or Tech is around. Sorry, that sounds dumb.”

“It’s not dumb!” Tubbo argued. “It’s stupid that your dad doesn’t pay attention to you unless it’s in tandem with your brothers! You deserve to be cared about because you’re  _ you,  _ not because your brothers are around!”

“That’s why I like the team so much,” Tommy admitted, voice even quieter than before. “Quackity, Sam, Ranboo, Purpled,  _ you  _ . . . the whole team cares about me no matter if I win or not. I’m always being checked up on and asked if I’m okay. That doesn’t happen with my dad.”

Tubbo searched for the right words, staying silent for a few moments. This was a conversation they had been through before, though only when Tommy was too exhausted to put up any emotional barriers, but he never knew what to say no matter how many times they talked about it. Finally he just settled on, “Do you want me to fight your dad for you? ‘Cause I’ll fight him if you want me to. Like, I’ll do it tonight”

Tommy burst out laughing, the smile from earlier returning to his face.

“I’d really prefer it if you didn’t try to fistfight my dad tonight,” Tommy choked out through his wheezes.

Tubbo huffed overdramatically. “Fine! But that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna fight him eventually!”

Tommy only started laughing again.

⇩⇩⇩

Tommy could barely keep his eyes open as he dragged himself up the steps to his house. The moment he and Tubbo had pulled up into the driveway, that bone-deep exhaustion made itself known once more, gripping onto him and refusing to let go. A nagging voice in the back of his head, which sounded so similar to Tubbo, told him that if he felt nothing but tired and numb when he thought about going home then it  _ probably _ meant his relationship with his family wasn’t as healthy as it should’ve been. He pointedly ignored that voice.

In his peripheral, he could see the lights of Tubbo’s car as the boy backed out of the driveway and onto the street, heading towards his house only a few blocks away. Part of Tommy wanted to call out for him to stop, to beg for his best friend to come back and let him into the car and bring him back to an adult who knew about his racing and would say that they’re proud of him. He ached to be driven to Sam or Schlatt or Quackity, or anybody who wasn’t his dad. Still, he trudged up the last step and put a hand on the doorknob just as the headlights disappeared around the corner.

With a sigh, Tommy opened the door and stepped into the house, expecting to be met with the usual silence that always seemed to reside in the house. He was surprised, however, to hear voices coming from the living room, one of those voices being that of his father. Half of him wanted to ignore the people all together and just go upstairs, locking himself in his room for the night and ignoring the world until the sun rose again. The other half of him, however, was too curious to bear. His curiosity always seemed to win out.

Tommy took careful steps and peeked around the corner, only to be met with the sight of a couple familiar people he hadn’t seen in a while sitting on the couch. He froze in place, shoulders stiff and tense, as he tried to comprehend that they were home (and much earlier than expected).

“Wilbur? Techno?” Tommy said before he could stop himself. All three people in the living room turned to him.

⇩⇩⇩

Sam wouldn’t consider himself a violent man. If anything, he liked to think he was a bit of a pacifist. There wasn’t much about him that could convince anyone that he was a cruel person either; he was a friendly guy that ran a small town auto shop and loved his therapy dog, Fran. Besides that, people in the town knew he gave teens part time jobs and cared for them like they were his own kids. Yeah, it was obvious that he wasn’t considered a bad person by any means.

Still, whenever he heard about Philza, something dark wrapped around his heart.

Almost everything that Sam had heard about Tommy’s father was in passing or by accident. It wasn’t like he meant to pry into the kid’s life, but how was he supposed to not overhear when Tommy and Tubbo were talking in the next room over. Sure, he could’ve tuned the kids out or told them he could hear them, but he was also curious about what was going on in the life of the boy he considered a pseudo-son.

Philza, from what Sam could piece together both from Tommy’s stories and talk in the small town, was a relatively pleasant guy that people liked well enough. A good amount of the gossip passed around about the man was mostly just talked about his two oldest sons, who’d both made it out of the town and into college. The two were both prodigies, excellent academics with extracurricular talents that could make anyone jealous. Very little of the town talk, however, mentioned Tommy, besides being known as the younger brother to Wilbur and Technoblade.

Sam, ever since he met the boy, always had an inkling that this affected Tommy, whether consciously or subconsciously, though part of him had figured that his father would make sure to tell him that he was proud no matter what grades the teen got. It seemed, he discovered a few months into knowing the boy, that he had been wrong. Tommy had mentioned, primarily in lighthearted passing, that his father was rarely around, always busy with something or another. That alone didn’t seem too bad to Sam, seeing as plenty of parents worked several jobs, but then Tommy began to mention other things, such as how his father never talked to him about his day or asked how he was doing.

It was never blatantly said that Philza rarely spoke to Tommy, but so obviously hinted at that one would have to be blind not to see it. Sam had made an extra effort from that point forward to ask the kid about his day and make him feel heard. Even so, he still felt like he wasn’t doing enough. He wanted to be a solid figure for the kid, a rock to ground him when he needed it and extra support when he felt down. What started with a simple daily “how are you?” quickly turned into offers of a place to stay should he ever need it and reminders that he was proud of the boy no matter what.

Though Sam’s efforts were appreciated, the man knew that he could never fully replace Tommy’s father (not that he had ever planned to do so). He knew what the kid needed was for his real father to notice him and care about how he was doing outside of when his brothers were around. He wanted to cry and scream and punch something as he listened to the boy spill his heart out about how Phiza never seemed to notice him except when his more academically esteemed brothers were nearby. It hurt𑁋  _ prime, it hurt more than anything _ 𑁋 to hear a kid Sam thought of as one of his own so down because of a man who was supposed to care about him.

In those moments, as he listened in to Tommy talk about his distant father and how he only wished to be cared about without conditions, Sam made a promise to himself. If he ever met Philza, he’d punch the man. He’d punch Philza right in the face without a single ounce of regret. He didn’t care if it got him arrested or if Tommy got mad at him, he was going to punch him as hard as he possibly could and Philza would deserve it.

Until that day came, however, Sam was going to be there as much as he could be for Tommy. He was going to make sure the boy was okay and do everything he can to keep him safe in his dangerous career. He had deemed the boy his own responsibility, much as he had for the rest of his young teammates, and he was going to take care of him.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! lemme know what u thought in the comments :]


	3. Transitory Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family dinners, minor arguments, and a bit of reconciliation on Wilbur's part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everybody!! sorry its been a hot second since I updated but midterms are kicking my ass lmao. anyways, I hope u enjoy!
> 
> The song in this chapter is "Google Earth" by Eisenach from the album Transitory Places. it's an incredible album that sounds like freshman year to me so I definitely suggest u check it out!

The moment Technoblade saw his father again for the first time in several months, he knew that something was off. There was something different about Philza, subtle enough to not be glaringly obvious, but off enough for him to pick up on it. The man seemed tired, as displayed by the bags under his eyes, but that was nothing new. Phil had always had a tendency to overwork himself and push himself to the limit. No, this was something different.

He seemed  _ nervous. _

Techno had no idea why his father would be so nervous. Nothing had seemed wrong when he picked him and Wilbur up from the airport that evening. The small town looked exactly the same, the car looked exactly the same, Wilbur and Techno looked exactly the same. What reason was there for Phil to be so nervous?

Techno pushed it aside for the time being, instead electing to just enjoy seeing his dad again after so long of being away at college. He ignored the uneasy feeling as he conversed with his dad and brother, catching up on what they hadn’t talked about over phone calls throughout the past semester. The entire time, it felt like something was missing, like something was supposed to be there that wasn’t.

It wasn’t until Techno was sitting in the living room a few hours later that Techno realized what was missing:

_ Tommy. _

For the few hours he had been home, Techno hadn’t seen Tommy once, let alone heard Phil mention his little brother. Something about the absence of the boy felt so wrong. Tommy was such a loud presence, taking up space in every room he occupied, and Techno didn’t realize the house felt so empty without the boy until he wasn’t there. It just felt . . . wrong, especially considering nobody had even brought up the teen,

“Hey, where’s Tommy?” Techno finally worked up the courage to ask, causing the room to go silent. Wilbur went still, as if realizing what had been missing the whole time in the same way Techno did. Phil, however, just looked away from his two sons, seemingly thinking over his next words.

“I don't know,” the man admitted, not meeting his sons’ eyes.

“You . . . don’t know?” Wilbur repeated, barely concealed rage and concern beginning to bubble underneath his words.

“I’m sure he’s fine!” Philza reassured the two. “He’s probably just with Tubbo.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you don’t know where he is,” Wilbur shot back, obviously trying to remain calm. “When’s the last time you saw him?”

Philza didn’t say anything.

“Dad-” Techno started.

“We’ve both just been busy,” Phil finally said. “You know, I’ve been working and he-”

“He’s your son,” Wilbur interrupted, deathly calm. “You’re supposed to see him and know what he’s up to. I mean, you’d see me and Techno every day before we went to college.”

“Well-” the man started.

“You were always so insistent about family dinner,” Wilbur continued, not letting his father get a word in. “What happened to that? And what about how much you care about making sure we were doing okay?”

“Wil-”

“No, what is going on with you, dad? Why are you-”

The argument was interrupted by a small voice from the doorway.

“Wilbur? Techno?”

All three of the men in the living room turned to the entrance, only to see Tommy standing there. The sixteen year old looked dead on his feet, as if even standing up was a struggle. Just like with Phil, Techno couldn’t help but feel like there was something so fundamentally  _ wrong  _ with Tommy in that moment, as if it wasn’t really the Tommy he knew and loved. He seemed so off in that moment that it made him feel almost nauseous.

“Tommy!” Wilbur exclaimed, shooting up from his place on the couch and running over. He was quick to bring his little brother into a hug, cradling the back of the boy’s head and bringing it to rest against his chest. Tommy looked surprised for a moment, eyes wide and posture stiff, but it only took a few moments before he melted into the embrace, wrapping his arms around Wilbur’s torso and allowing himself to be held.

After a few moments, Wilbur pulled away, and Techno couldn’t help but notice that Tommy looked almost devastated for a second at the loss of contact. It was gone not a second later, though, so he could’ve been imagining it.

“Tommy, where have you been?” Phil asked, standing up from the couch. “You’re getting back pretty late.”

Techno wished he could forget the surprise that flitted across Tommy’s face at the question, as if it were shocking for his father to ask him where he was. The surprise was quickly replaced with some mix of concern and confusion, neither of which should’ve been his reaction to the question. The teen answered it nonetheless.

“I was at work.”

Techno and Wilbur shared a look of confusion, and Phil seemed just as confused as them.

“Work?” the father questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“I got that job at the auto shop, remember? I’m working there with Tubbo.”

The room went silent, nobody quite knowing what to say. Techno was concerned and frustrated, the two emotions stirring angrily in his gut and making him want to punch something, or maybe someone. Wilbur was looking at his father with rage no longer concealed. Still, Techno could spot some concern shining in his brother’s brown eyes, the man obviously worried about his younger brother. Phil just seemed uncomfortable, shifting every few seconds and avoiding eye contact with everyone in the living room.

The four walls felt suffocating, the house filled with such a thick tension that it could be cut with a knife. It was silent in a way that could make someone feel as though they were drowning. Techno wanted to escape, he wanted to get out of there before he couldn’t breathe anymore.

“I’m going to bed,” Tommy told the group, breaking Techno out of his thoughts. He watched as his younger brother left without even saying goodnight, seemingly just as desperate to escape as he himself was. Only seconds later, Wilbur shot one last glare at Phil and followed the boy upstairs, though a slamming door let everyone know that he had gone to his own room.

Techno was left in the living room with his dad, who was looking at him as if begging for help. Techno, however, just started at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with the man.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you,” he muttered, “but you’ve gotta figure your shit out before you completely destroy your relationships.”

“Techno-”

“Fix your shit, Phil,” Techno told him. “Figure it out.”

With that, he turned away and left his dad all alone in the living room.

⇩⇩⇩

As soon as Tommy was in his room, he locked his door and threw his backpack onto his desk chair. With a huff, he collapsed face down on his bed and let out a groan. He felt somewhere in between wanting to sob and wanting to scream, but he did neither. Instead, he just laid in the dark room and tried to ignore the fact that his dad was paying attention to him again. It wouldn’t have been that bad if Wilbur and Techno hadn’t appeared to notice that his dad had been ignoring him over the past months, but, unlike over their winter break, they had realized this time around that Phil had spent the entire time they were away at college barely even acknowledging Tommy.

Tommy didn’t even know what his older brothers were doing home so early. It was April and they weren’t supposed to be back until their semester ended in late May, which meant that something must’ve happened that sent them home before the school year ended. Tommy didn’t feel like pondering about it much, his head too full of how he was going to hide his racing career from his two brothers. Now that they had a vague idea of how little time and attention Phil had been devoting to Tommy, there was no question the two were going to try to make up for it by spending extra time with the teen.

But Tommy didn’t want to spend time with them.

Well, that was a lie. He loved his brothers and adored the time he spent with them, but it was different now that he was racing. The majority of his free time was spent at the auto shop, and he didn’t want to give that up. Besides, if he wanted to keep up his victorious reputation, he’d have to keep training as much as he was now. It was going to be a whole lot harder with Wilbur and Techno constantly breathing down his neck. Phil would probably be all up in his business too, trying to prove to his sons that he was a good father that loved and cared for all of his children equally.

After a few minutes of laying face down on his bed, Tommy realized that it was rather hard to breathe through the sheets. He got up, taking a few gasps to catch his breath, and stumbled over to his bag, unzipping the main compartment and pulling out an envelope. He set the crumbled envelope down on his desk and began to rustle through one of the desk drawers, eventually finding what he was looking for.

Tommy held up the key in victory and grabbed the envelope once more, making his way over to his dresser. He opened up one of the drawers and reached into the very back, where all of the shirts he never wore were stored. He pushed away the t-shirts and pulled out a metal box that was kept shut with a lock. He used the key to unlock it before ripping open the envelope. Inside of the sealed white paper was a small stack of cash, his cut of the bet money.

With nimble fingers, Tommy counted through the cash quickly. The familiar motion was practically ingrained into his hands, done time and time again after races. He added up the bills𑁋 only a couple hundred, since it was an individual race rather than a team one𑁋 and placed it with the other cash. He shut the lid and locked the box, shoving it into the furthest corner of his drawer and covering the metal back up with his shirts. He crumbled the now empty envelope and threw it into his overflowing garbage bin, making a note to himself to take out the trash tomorrow.

After changing out of his dirty clothes and getting into more comfortable ones, Tommy flopped back down on his bed and grabbed his phone. He put in his password and immediately clicked on his text messages.

⇩⇩⇩

_ The Hybrids _

big man: hey uh guys weve got a small problem

Awwwsam: Is everything okay, Tommy?

QUACK!: are you okay??

big man: sorta??

tubee: what happened??

big man: so you know how my brothers werent supposed to be home for another month?

big man: well they came home today while i was out racing

enderboy: uh oh

big man: yeahhh so they didnt know where i was and i think they asked our dad

big man: but of course i havent seen my dad in days so he had no clue where i was

Purpur: so im guessing ur brothers werent happy abt that

big man: not in the slightest

big man: when i got home i could hear wilbur yelling at him and then when i went upstairs i could hear techno lecturing him

tubee: isnt this a good thing tho?? bc ur dad will listen to ur brothers and maybe stop being shitty?

big man: yeah except this means all of them are going to be fucking nosy all the time!!!! which means its only gonna be harder to train and race!!!

tubee: oof yeah i didnt think abt that

Purpur: okay yeah thats a problem

big man: ranboo! ur our voice of reason! what should i do?

enderboy: uhhh

enderboy: yeah ive got nothing on this one

big man: ughhhhhhhh

QUACK!: i mean, when u think abt it, you have those lies backed up in case your dad ever asked where you were going

Awwwsam: Your job at my shop is a good cover to use, seeing as it’s technically true! You can always say you’re picking up more hours!

enderboy: you can always say ur hanging out with me!

tubee: or that ur sleeping over at my house!!

Purpur: uh idk if ur dad even knows who i am but feel free to use me as an excuse

big man: you all are fucking lifesavers

big man: idk what id do without you guys

tubee: probably die

⇩⇩⇩

_ Awwwsam ⇨ big man _

Awwwsam: Hey kiddo! I hope you’re doing okay. I’m sure it’s really hard with you brothers being home and finding out about your dad. I just wanted to remind you that if you need anything, I’m here for you! You can always reach out if you need to talk and you’re always welcome at the shop. If you ever needed to be picked up from somewhere or feel like you need to get out of the house because your family is making you uncomfortable, you can text or call me and I’ll always be there to help you.

Awwwsam: Love you, kiddo! :)

big man: thank you, sam. i cant even tell you how much that means to me

big man: i love you too, big s

⇩⇩⇩

Tommy was still blinking the sleep out of his eyes when he dragged himself downstairs. He was fully dressed and his backpack was slung over one shoulder. All he wanted was to grab a cup of coffee and leave, but of course the universe had different plans for him. His dad was cooking in the kitchen, something he hadn’t seen the man do in months. Techno was standing and talking with Phil, the two seemingly deep in conversation. Wilbur, on the other hand, was leaning against one of the counters and nursing a mug of coffee. Tommy just stared at the scene for a moment, wondering if he was hallucinating.

“Good morning, Tommy!” Wilbur exclaimed with way too much energy for how early it was.

“Uh. good morning?” Tommy replied, weaving around the occupants of the kitchen to get to the coffee pot, which was already half empty. He pulled out a travel mug from the cabinet and poured it full with coffee. He grabbed the sugar and threw some in as well, forgoing creamer all together. He screwed on the lid and turned around, beginning to exit the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” Techno asked, making Tommy stop in his tracks. It made everyone else in the kitchen stop as well, turning to the teen. He turned around but avoided contact with his family.

“I’m going to school,” Tommy answered, gripping his travel mug tighter.

“Don’t classes at the high school not start until eight-thirty?” Wilbur interrogated. “It’s only seven-fifteen. Not to mention that we were also planning on having a family breakfast.”

“Tubbo, Ranboo, and I always carpool together to meet up with Purpled before school and hang out. Today it’s my day to pick them up,” Tommy explained quickly. “So, bye!”

Before anybody could say anything else, Tommy turned around and ran out the house, slamming the front door behind him. Techno, Wilbur, and Phil all stayed quiet, still staring at the place where Tommy was just standing, as they listened to the car in the driveway start up and rumble a bit as it drove away. After a second, Phil turned back to the stove, flipping the pancake he was working on.

“Who is Ranboo?” Wilbur asked aloud, voice rather quiet.

Techno and Phil both only shrugged.

⇩⇩⇩

Tommy had been in such a rush to get away from his house, he hadn’t even bothered to put a CD in before he was already starting the car and backing out of the driveway. Only once he was far enough away from his house, and subsequently much calmer, did he realize that there was no music playing. It felt wrong, in a sense, to drive in silence. It was one thing to have no music playing while he was racing, seeing as music would only be a distraction from the competition, but it felt weird to drive normally without a disc playing in the background.

Luckily, the drive to Tubbo’s house wasn’t too long, so he didn’t have to ponder the uncomfortable silence for too long. As soon as Tommy pulled into the driveway, Tubbo was racing out the door with his backpack slung over his shoulder and a piece of toast in his hand. He shut the front door behind him and quickly made his way to the passengers side of Tommy’s car, climbing in and setting his bag by his feet.

“What are we listening to today?” Tubbo asked in lieu of a greeting, before buckling his seatbelt with one hand while taking a bite of toast.

“You can pick,” Tommy replied. Tubbo shot him a weird look, surprised that his friend hadn’t already put a CD in, but didn’t question it. The brunet held his piece of toast in his mouth to free up his hands and opened the glovebox. He began to sift through the CDs while Tommy put the car in reverse and began to back out of the driveway. Finally, he decided on one and opened up the case, popping the disc into the slot.

Tubbo shut the glovebox and leaned back into the seat, continuing to eat his breakfast. Neither of the two boys said a word as the music washed over the car.

_ Yesterday I was on Google Earth _

_ Zoomed all the way out _

_ And was shocked by the size of the universe _

_ Spec of the earth _

_ Like a raindrop falling _

_ Like a raindrop falling _

_ Like a raindrop falling _

_ Like a raindrop falling _

The drive to Ranboo’s apartment building was made in silence, besides the music filling up the space that their words were missing from. It was quiet, but not uncomfortable. It was such a practiced routine that it was familiar in a comforting way. Before long, they were stopped in a parking lot and Tommy was pulling out his phone to let Ranboo know that they were waiting for him. Only a minute later, the door to the building opened and their tall friend emerged.

Ranboo spotted the old car immediately and sped walked over. He opened the door to the backseat and placed his bag on the further seat before climbing in himself. As soon as he was buckled, Tommy was pulling out of the lot and back onto the road, beginning the familiar drive to their high school.

“How are you guys doing today?” Ranboo asked the two in the front seat.

“I’m good!” Tubbo replied, a grin on his face as he turned in his seat to look at Ranboo. “How about you?”

“I’m actually doing pretty well,” Ranboo admitted.

The two brunets turned to look at Tommy, whose eyes were focused on the road and hands were gripping the steering wheel harder than necessary. Eventually, he seemed to notice that they were waiting for an answer from him.

“Fine,” he said shortly, obviously not in the mood for conversation. Taking the hint, Tubbo and Ranboo began to converse with each other, filling up the space.

Soon enough, the group was pulling up to the school. Tommy parked and the three jumped out, the blond locking the car behind them. They walked into the courtyard in front of the building, immediately spotting Purpled sitting at one of the picnic benches and heading over to him.

“Good morning,” Purpled greeted, turning his phone off and slipping it into his hoodie pocket. Then, he moved his gaze specifically to Tommy. “How’s shit going with your family?”

Tommy let out a groan and slumped down next to Purpled. “Awful, and it’s been less than twenty-four hours since my brothers got home!”

“Anything specific happen after you texted us?” Ranboo asked, him and Tubbo sitting down as well.

“I came downstairs this morning and my dad was making fucking pancakes,” Tommy told them, a hint of bitterness in his tone. “He wanted to have a  _ ‘family breakfast’  _ or whatever, as if any of that shit would’ve happened if Techno and Wilbur weren’t home.”

“So what did you do?” Tubbo couldn’t help but question.

“I got my coffee and I got the hell out of there,” Tommy answered honestly with a shrug. “I wasn’t in the mood to deal with that shit.”

The group all nodded in understanding. They didn’t want to push it, though, so they moved the conversation along to other topics, and Tommy seemed much happier to talk about something other than his family problems. The group talked until the first bell rang, signaling that classes would start in ten minutes. With a few quick goodbyes, they dispersed to go to their classes.

⇩⇩⇩

After school, the group headed to the auto shop, as they usually did, and, for once, Tommy was actually doing the job that he was meant to do as an apprentice to a mechanic. He found himself working on oil changes, a task so simple that it was one of the first things he learned how to do when he began working at Sam’s shop. He didn’t complain about it, however, seeing as it was something to keep him busy and keep his hands moving.

Across the shop, Sam and Purpled were working together on an engine that had been giving a customer a lot of trouble, which made sense seeing as it was a more difficult repair and Purpled had been working in the shop for a lot longer than Tommy. Tubbo and Ranboo didn’t really have a task to do, so were sitting and going through some paperwork about the cars that had been dropped off for repairs that day, though they were mostly chattering about the syndicate. Tubbo was specifically telling stories of the Hybrids’ greatest races. Ranboo was so entranced by the tales that it was almost hard to believe that he had been so against being a part of the team at the beginning.

Tommy closed the hood of the car he was working on as he finished up the oil change. Grabbing a rag from nearby, he wiped the grease off of his hands. Once his hands were clean, he pulled his phone from his back pocket, just to make sure he hadn’t missed anything important. Clearing away notifications he didn’t care about, he was left with only one text, which happened to be from Wilbur. With a sigh, he opened it up and responded.

_ Wilbur ⇨ Tommy _

_ Wilbur: where are you? _

_ Tommy: i’m at work _

_ Tommy: why are you asking?? _

_ Wilbur: dad wants you home for a family dinner. _

Tommy audibly groaned. “You have to be fucking kidding me.”

His words caught the attention of the other occupants of the shop, who turned to look at the teen in confusion. Noticing their gazes, Tommy was quick to elaborate.

“Wilbur just texted me. Apparently my dad wants me home for a fucking family dinner.”

Purpled grimaced, while Tubbo and Ranboo were shooting him sympathetic glances. Sam, on the other hand, tried to keep his face blank.

“You can tell them you’re supposed to be working a late shift, if you’d like,” Sam offered, attempting to keep his voice even. “You know you’re free to stay here as late as you want.

Tommy pondered the offer for a minute before shaking his head. “I should probably go before one of them gets all pissy about it. I already skipped out on family breakfast this morning, and they’re gonna start getting mad if I don’t actually spend time with them.

Sam nodded in understanding. “Well, text or call us if you need anything. We’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

Tommy couldn’t help but give a small grin. “Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The teen collected his stuff and left out the back door, though not before saying a proper goodbye to Tubbo, Ranboo, and Purpled. He headed straight for his car before remembering that he had completely forgotten to text Wilbur back. With a sigh, he climbed into the driver's seat and pulled out his phone.

_ Tommy ⇨ Wilbur _

_ Tommy: fine. _

_ Tommy: ill be there in a few. _

Without waiting for his brother to respond, Tommy put his phone down and started the car. The CD that Tubbo had put in that morning restarted, and Tommy took a bit of comfort in the music, or at least the fact that it was an album that his best friend had specifically picked to listen to that day.

_ Young plateau, structured just like episodes _

_ He likes it slow, settle down and say hello _

_ What’s up, my love? I missed your last episode. _

_ Woah, time goes so fast. _

It wasn’t long before Tommy was pulling into the driveway at his house. Or maybe it was long, but just felt short because of how much he was dreading this family dinner. He parked the car and turned it off, plunged into silence as the music stopped. With slow movements, he unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his backpack. He pushed the car door open even slower, but it wasn’t slow enough, because soon enough he was walking through the front door and into the foyer.

As he heard faint chattering coming from the kitchen, Tommy only had one thought in his mind:

_ This was going to be a nightmare. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lemme know what u thought! :]

**Author's Note:**

> did yall like the way I incorporated the music discs! I thought it was a super pog way to include them!! tell me what u thought in the comments :]


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